New Year, New Grcade

Just a few more days before Dry January relinquishes its tyrannical grip over us

jawa_ wrote:I've not set any formal resolutions. I have to get into work soon, though. I need to get my life back on track.

Is that still the case? If so hang in there mate. Its no consolation but I would imagine literally everyone of us has been there, it sucks but you're only short while from landing your next job...then a short while plus about 5 weeks being nostalgic for when you were inbetween jobs

Its rough but you've got this dude!

DarkRula wrote:Nothing concrete, but I enjoyed the bit of travelling I did last year down to London and Manchester, so want to do more of that this year.

Nice one. Sounds like you just need to keep up what you did last year. As you want to travel more and as you did so well sorting us for the Birmingham meet - sounds like you low key volunteered to organise the next GRCADE meet

Drumstick wrote:1) Lose weight: don't have time/will/effort for exercise so this will be entirely controlled by my diet. I've drawn up a pretty strict schedule, hoping to get down to the 11-12st range (currently in the 14-15st range).

Good luck. I'm kind of the opposite, I can be kind of a depressed dude so I really enjoy exercise for the same reason I like videogames - its nice getting out of my head for a bit...but I like to eat. How's its going so far?

OrangeRKN wrote:- Start a business
- Finish and release my first game for the playdate
- Wedding planning for next year...
- ...and getting in shape ahead of it!

Those are the big ones. Lots of stuff I want to get done around the house but we'll see what actually happens (probably not as much as I'd like). Several other creative projects I'd like to get done but can't really commit myself to either.

Wow, you smash that lot that's an epic year! Hope you'll keep us updated on the Playdead game? Any idea when we'll get to play it?

Barnsy! wrote:

DarkRula wrote:Nothing concrete, but I enjoyed the bit of travelling I did last year down to London and Manchester, so want to do more of that this year.

Nice one. Sounds like you just need to keep up what you did last year. As you want to travel more and as you did so well sorting us for the Birmingham meet - sounds like you low key volunteered to organise the next GRCADE meet

Indeed. It would be fun to get another meet sorted, but I believe others have plans for that. Depending on where other meets happen, I'll likely be there. And perhaps even one from me somewhere a bit quieter could be planned.

Barnsy! wrote:

jawa_ wrote:I've not set any formal resolutions. I have to get into work soon, though. I need to get my life back on track.

Is that still the case? If so hang in there mate. Its no consolation but I would imagine literally everyone of us has been there, it sucks but you're only short while from landing your next job...

Thanks, man. I'm doing a fantastic job of ignoring the situation, pretending it's not happening, and walking towards big issues.

Gonna get a grip at some point, though!

Keep on being a stand-up fella this year, Barnsy!

I'm moving to another country. So my new years resolution is to try and make that a success if I can.

Where you off to?

Rocsteady wrote:Where you off to?

Denmark. The lass is already there doing science stuff. I will likely be able to secure a job in a Netto with my qualifications.

Squinty wrote:

Rocsteady wrote:Where you off to?

Denmark. I really love bacon. The lass is already there doing science stuff. I will likely be able to secure a job in a Netto with my qualifications.

FTFY

Moggy wrote:

Squinty wrote:

Rocsteady wrote:Where you off to?

Denmark. I really love bacon. The lass is already there doing science stuff. I will likely be able to secure a job in a Netto with my qualifications.

FTFY

I don't really like it It's not good bacon.

They also have things they call sandwiches which are not actually sandwiches. And the bikes. strawberry floating hell. They breed.

Squinty wrote:

Rocsteady wrote:Where you off to?

Denmark. The lass is already there doing science stuff. I will likely be able to secure a job in a Netto with my qualifications.

Copenhagen?

I have a few things I want to look at this year, but more importantly I have a 'bucket of list' of things I want to do before I'm 40. Got one step closer to ticking one off this weekend. Booked a big trip cycling round Vietnam

Squinty wrote:
Denmark. The lass is already there doing science stuff. I will likely be able to secure a job in a Netto with my qualifications.

Congrats

I worked in Copenhagen for a couple of months when I was a lad - sure you'll enjoy it, if only for that energy of starting in a new place!

Good luck

Tomous wrote:

Squinty wrote:

Rocsteady wrote:Where you off to?

Denmark. The lass is already there doing science stuff. I will likely be able to secure a job in a Netto with my qualifications.

Copenhagen?

Yeah. Although if it works out and she wants to stay, hopefully move outside the city. Maybe Lingby or thereabouts.

Thanks very much you guys. I'm nervous but excited.

Squinty wrote:

Moggy wrote:

Squinty wrote:

Rocsteady wrote:Where you off to?

Denmark. I really love bacon. The lass is already there doing science stuff. I will likely be able to secure a job in a Netto with my qualifications.

FTFY

I don't really like it It's not good bacon.

They also have things they call sandwiches which are not actually sandwiches. And the bikes. strawberry floating hell. They breed.

Squinty wrote:

Tomous wrote:

Squinty wrote:

Rocsteady wrote:Where you off to?

Denmark. The lass is already there doing science stuff. I will likely be able to secure a job in a Netto with my qualifications.

Copenhagen?

Yeah. Although if it works out and she wants to stay, hopefully move outside the city. Maybe Lingby or thereabouts.

Thanks very much you guys. I'm nervous but excited.

I have 2 friends from Uni who moved to Copenhagen, one recently and one about a decade ago and both absolutely love it. I've visited a couple of times including last year and had an absolutely amazing time

Seems like a wonderful place to live to be honest.

Down to 85kg, 7kg down from the 92kg I was in mid December.

My fat pants (the tracksuit bottoms with plenty of give I bought from Asda for comfort last year) no longer fit that well

Tomous wrote:Down to 85kg, 7kg down from the 92kg I was in mid December.

My fat pants (the tracksuit bottoms with plenty of give I bought from Asda for comfort last year) no longer fit that well

That's fantastic - congrats '

What's your secret? If it involves discipline, self control, delayed gratification and restriction I'm not interested!

Barnsy! wrote:

Tomous wrote:Down to 85kg, 7kg down from the 92kg I was in mid December.

My fat pants (the tracksuit bottoms with plenty of give I bought from Asda for comfort last year) no longer fit that well

That's fantastic - congrats '

What's your secret? If it involves discipline, self control, delayed gratification and restriction I'm not interested!

Thanks mate. Unfortunately yes, quite a few of those boring things

I did dry January which I think made the biggest difference but I've also improved my eating habits (a lot to be honest as they were very bad!) and upped my exercise.

Ok. February was rubbish for running. Too cold at the beginning - genuinely hazardous - got COVID in the middle and work has been rampant, but, with judiciously not eating sweet thinks or drinks including alcohol, I've lost another kilo. Down 5kg on the start of the year. Not bad in that context, I suppose. Hoping for more in march.

So my 3 month check in on the main goals I've been working towards this year:


Lose weight Going well - I've now lost 2 stone and now eat a much, much healthier diet
Reduce my boozing Going well - I've only drunk 2 weekends this year (as opposed to 1-2 nights a week which was standard for me previously). Making a big effort to keep it to 1 weekend a month from now on. Definitely been helping with losing weight too.
Reduce my coffee intake and drink more water Going well - 2 coffees a day for me now, 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. Am instead drinking much more water which I feel much better for.
Excercise more Going well - I have a pretty well defined routine now where I do weights a couple of times a week, play football on Tuesday's and then throw in 1-2 runs a week too. And on recovery days I've been going for walks/doing yogas. Next goal for this is want to go back to squash
Get more sleep Not going well - Needs work this one, I'm trying to get to bed by 10.30pm but it rarely happens. There just aren't enough hours in the day, especially when you're responsible for a 2 year old nutter
Use my phone less Not going well - I've deleted social media apps that I use to doomscroll badly on from my phone but have just replaced that activity with other apps really. Another that needs work.

So overall happy with the progress but still some work to do on the last two. I'm on a stag do next weekend in Budapest which is going to be a pretty big blowout. Going to think about the diet for one weekend and then when I come back, recaliberate and form a plan of attack for the bottom two.

Tomous wrote:
I've now lost 2 stone and now eat a much, much healthier diet ..................
I've only drunk 2 weekends this year (as opposed to 1-2 nights a week which was standard for me previously). Making a big effort to keep it to 1 weekend a month from now on. Definitely been helping with losing weight too.
2 coffees a day for me now, 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. Am instead drinking much more water which I feel much better for.
............ I have a pretty well defined routine now where I do weights a couple of times a week, play football on Tuesday's and then throw in 1-2 runs a week too. And on recovery days I've been going for walks/doing yogas. Next goal for this is want to go back to squash

You so got this!

All that is so good to hear, very well done. Sounds that your brain is over the initial hump of starting all this and you are now enjoying the discipline of it all. Hope you are enjoying the exercise and it's helping you mentally as well as physically.

2 stone is incredible particularly as you wasn't that big before. You've earned the 'cheat' weekend in Budapest

Barnsy! wrote:

Tomous wrote:
I've now lost 2 stone and now eat a much, much healthier diet ..................
I've only drunk 2 weekends this year (as opposed to 1-2 nights a week which was standard for me previously). Making a big effort to keep it to 1 weekend a month from now on. Definitely been helping with losing weight too.
2 coffees a day for me now, 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. Am instead drinking much more water which I feel much better for.
............ I have a pretty well defined routine now where I do weights a couple of times a week, play football on Tuesday's and then throw in 1-2 runs a week too. And on recovery days I've been going for walks/doing yogas. Next goal for this is want to go back to squash

You so got this!

All that is so good to hear, very well done. Sounds that your brain is over the initial hump of starting all this and you are now enjoying the discipline of it all. Hope you are enjoying the exercise and it's helping you mentally as well as physically.

2 stone is incredible particularly as you wasn't that big before. You've earned the 'cheat' weekend in Budapest

Thanks Barnsy

Yeah, it's definitely a bit of a lifestyle change. Once you get past the initial hump the discipline of it becomes much easier and very rewarding in fact. Definitely feel much better mentally from it and another side bonus is I'm firing on all cylinders at work at the moment.

I am having the weekend off in Budapest though, no calorie counting whatsoever